With two months remaining in the current budget year ... Governor Bruce Rauner says Illinois has run out of cash.
He's pushing for a two-year spending plan.
"I'm recommending we do a budget that's for 2016 and 2017. Frankly, we're out of money for 2016. There's nothing that we can do really productive for 2016. We should get a grand bargain for both years, and do the right thing for the long term,” Rauner said.
Rauner -- a Republican -- has held out on a complete budget … as he presses for Democrats to adopt to an agenda THEY say will harm the middle class.
The governor says he's optimistic the stalemate can come to an end in the next four weeks.
But he was unwilling to say what specifically he'll take off the table as part of a compromise.
Critics say Rauner is hard to negotiate with ... because of constantly shifting targets.
Rauner said today it's best that rank-and-file lawmakers are holding talks without his or their leaders' direct involvement.
He says he's not privy to what exactly they're discussing.
